Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Dr. Sasmit Patra has urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu to fast track Odisha airport developments.
Dr Patra demanded to expedite the construction, expansion, and operationalization of key airports and airstrips across the state, including in Puri, Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Rangeilunda, Jeypore, Utkela, and Baripada.
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He emphasized the need to fast-track the proposed International Airport in Puri, ensuring direct international connectivity to Southeast Asia and the Middle East to promote tourism and trade.
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He called for resolving land acquisition and environmental clearance delays at the earliest to enhance connectivity, boost trade, and strengthen disaster response mechanisms.
Highlighting the expansion of Jharsuguda Airport, he stressed that “the airport, under the UDAN scheme, has demonstrated significant growth. It must be upgraded with night landing facilities, cargo terminals, and additional runways to facilitate greater regional and international connectivity.”
Today in the Rajya Sabha, I urged the Hon’ble Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu Ji (@RamMNK) to expedite the development of airports & airstrips in Odisha, including Puri, Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Rangeilunda, Jeypore, Utkela & Baripada.… pic.x.com/ieugyttuiE
— ଡ଼ଃ ସସ୍ମିତ ପାତ୍ର I Dr. Sasmit Patra (@sasmitpatra) March 28, 2025
He demanded more direct flights from Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport to major global hubs such as Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok, along with enhanced bilateral air service agreements.
He further said that the Rourkela Airport must be brought under AAI’s expansion plans to support the steel and manufacturing sector with cargo and commercial aviation facilities.
The BJD MP further stressed that the long-pending development of Rangeilunda Airport in southern Odisha must be prioritized, as it holds strategic importance for connecting the underdeveloped regions of Ganjam and southern Odisha to the national aviation network.
“Necessary funds and regulatory clearances must be expedited to operationalize this airport under UDAN,” he said.
Besides development of airports, he also urged the minister to upgrade and operationalise several existing airstrips in Odisha, including those in Jeypore, Utkela, and Baripada.
“These airstrips can be crucial in enhancing intra-state connectivity and providing better access to remote and tribal regions. A special package must be allocated to integrate these airstrips into the national aviation network,” he stated.
Given Odisha’s vulnerability to cyclones and natural disasters, he also demanded a dedicated aviation-based disaster response and coastal surveillance units must be established in Bhubaneswar and Paradip.
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